The size of Batam is 1,570.35 km2
(Bahrum 2011, 120). It has 436 islands making it both a city and a hinterland. It is
has the potential to be developed into a coastal city, archipelagic city and
even a fishery city (Bahrum, 124). In 1968, the Indonesian government made
Batam the logistic and operational base for petroleum. In 1978, Bacharuddin
Jusuf Habibie, the Minister of Research and Technology assigned by Suharto, the
president of Republic Indonesia to further develop Batam.[1] The purpose was to transform Batam into “the
Second Singapore”.[2]
The vision of Batam is to be an international port and the locomotive of
national economic growth (Gunawan 2008, 17). Since then, investors from various
countries such as Singapore, Taiwan, China, Japan and German came to invest
mainly in the industrial area making Batam well-known for its
industrialization. Gunawan states that Batam’s economic growth, being higher
than the national economic growth made Batam an attractive city (p.121).
Batam has experienced a hyper urbanization; in
August 2007 the total population of Batam is 727,878 and rose significantly to
1,075,000 in April 2011 (Bahrum 2011, 177). Industrialization and Free Trade Zone
makes Batam an attractive place for workforce. Minimum wage is adjusted number
of time in order to meet the demand of the workers – Rp. 815,000 (2006), Rp.
860,000 (2007), Rp. 960,000 (2008), Rp. 1,045,000 (2009), Rp. 1,110,000 (2010),
Rp. 1,180,000 (2011) (Bahrum, 180)., Rp. 1,402,000 (2012)[3] and
Rp.2, 422,092 (2013).[4]
The vision of Batam is to be a civilized seaport.[5] In
order to realize this vision, Bahrum proposes several insights, ideas and plans
in which I choose to lay out a few of them. The government of Batam has to
utilize computer technology and implement E-Governing (Bahrum 2011, 6) and provide
E-Public Service (p.31). For Bahrum, “good governance is least governance”
(p. 34).
As an archipelagic city, Batam’s city planning has
to be integrated with its defense planning. It has to prevent illegal fishing,
illegal logging, illegal dumping, illegal treasure hunting/diving, human
trafficking and drug trafficking (p. 99). Being good and responsible
stewards, Batam has to consider the importance of ecological spirituality in
order to be a theo-ecological city. Batam has to develop
sustainable (p. 122) and affordable transportation (p. 181).
According to Bahrum, majority of the workers spend at least 10 – 15 % of their
salaries on transportation. In 2006, those who travels on public transports
were 244,471 in which 181,466 were workers and 63,305 were students (p. 181).
Batam has to be an “Eco-Green City” (p. 85) in
order to avoid anthropogenic catastrophe (p. 86). City development must
put sustainability into consideration. Bahrum proposes the development of sustainable
urban transportation such as Bus Rapid Transit as well as the building of
pedestrian to promote and encourage walking and cycling in Batam. To be honest,
I can walk from my residence to Kepri Mall, however, due to the lack of proper
pedestrian walk I choose to drive. The lack of clean, convenient and
comfortable public transports have discouraged people to take public
transports, instead people are pushed to purchase motorbikes and cars. Compared
to 5 years ago, Batam is much congested. Previously, it took approximately 10
minutes to drive from Batam Centre to Nagoya during peak hours but now it takes
about 30 minutes for the same distance.
Population growth also increases the demand of
clean water. Therefore, Bahrum proposes the increase of water catchment area by
revitalizing forest, adding more water pumps as well as developing primary,
secondary and tertiary distributing system (p. 187. It is also crucial to
recycle water so he calls for the people in Batam to use water responsibly
(water saving scheme) (p. 188).
Well, progress and development can be very
dehumanizing and hence, Batam must adopt people centered development as its basis
for development (p. 174). The government has to provide flats for the
homeless whilst disciplining and regulating of illegal slums (rumah liar). Inspired
by Singapore, Bahrum proposes a special department to handle these flats
(purchase or rental) under the HDB or House Development Board (p. 178). The
same principle applies when the government disciplines roadside petty business
/ street vendor (Pedagang Kaki Lima), they have to provide an alternative for
them such as a legal location for them to continue their business or a legal
area for night market (p. 159-62).
The city is not supposed to be place for
self-glorification of the strong and the rich but it is supposed to help the
weak, the poor and the minority. Since 231, the strait people (orang selat or
suku laut) has domiciled in Batam mainly work as fishermen (p. 271). Bahrum
suggests holding long term training and equipping program for the strait people
(pp. 272-3). Well, city is place of multi-ethnicity in which people should
respect one another. Differences do not equal to enemy. Clean, unique, well
designed, public space is good for stimulating social engagement. City is not only
a place for dwelling but a place to be loved and appreciated.
Bahrum also proposes a bottom up participative
development (p. 244). In order to carry out this heavy task, the
government has to visit and hear from the people or in Jokowi’s style – blusukan.
It works to understand and meet the need of the people. Isn’t it what the
government is for? To serve the people? This is what Jokowi calls “humanistic
approach” (Endah 2012, 183) or to bridge the heart (p. 119). Jokowi is right
when he says, the well being of a city is not measured by the amount of its skyscrapers
and its massive malls (p. 128) but its soul, a humanized city (p. 129).
For city development is not just about its physical construction but also its
spiritual construction (p. 190). As city dwellers in Batam, we are called
not just to construct the city physically but also to humanize the city by
developing a healthy soul and work for the Shalom of the city.
References
Bahrum, H. Syamsul. 2011.
Manajemen Stratejik Kota Batam Sebagai Bandar Dunia Madani. Pekanbaru:
UNRI Press.
Endah, Alberthiene. 2012.
Jokowi: Memimpin Kota Menyentuh Jakarta. Solo: Metagraf, Creative
Imprint of Tiga Serangkai.
Gunawan, Markus. 2008. Provinsi
Kepulauan Riau. Batam: Titik Cahaya Elka.
Batam, July 17, 2014
[1]
Telaahan
Isu Strategis, n.d. http://www.pu.go.id/isustrategis/view/6 (accessed
August 12, 2013).
[3] http://www.batamtoday.com/berita10254-Gubernur-HM-Sani-Tetapkan-UMK-Batam-2012-Rp1.402.000.html (accessed July 17, 2014)
[4] http://batampos.co.id/22-11-2013/gubernur-sahkan-umk-batam-rp2-422-092/ (accessed July 17, 2014)
[5] http://batamkota.go.id/pemerintahan_baru.php?sub_module=47&klp_jenis=91 (accessed July 17, 2014)
